Chapter 123 Chapter-123
Chapter 123 Chapter-123
Raven's POV
After reaching the North border, I threw myself entirely into the work. The property Zayne gave us wasn't fancy, but the wooden cabins were enough for my pack.
Zayne had left early to handle urgent territory affairs, which gave me the perfect excuse to keep my mind occupied and away from thoughts I wasn't prepared to process yet.
I started immediately. I spoke with our head healers, took detailed notes on our injured and their medical shortages, and helped organise sleeping arrangements for several families. Slowly, the crushing pressure that had been building in my chest since last night began to ease with each cabin assigned and each person settled.
I had used a significant portion of my personal savings to bribe a corrupt member of the Werewolf Council, convincing them to look away long enough so we could retrieve our medical supplies from the frozen pack house. Zayne had also assigned some experienced Lycan doctors to work alongside our pack healers. Watching them collaborate to stabilise the injured patients made everything feel manageable.
By mid-morning, I was moving between cabins with our primary pack doctor, documenting injuries and necessary supplies for the coming days. I was completely focused until a sudden scent hit the air.
My hands froze against my writing pad. That scent. I knew it before I even processed what I was smelling, before my mind could conjure rational explanations for why he would be here at all.
A voice echoed from the nearby training ground, and my worst suspicion confirmed itself. Magnus. The one person I absolutely could not face right now stood on the dirt field, unbothered by the magnitude of his presence.
He was shirtless, his torso covered in mud and glistening with sweat. A circle of teenage guards surrounded him as he demonstrated defensive techniques, his movements precise and commanding. Several younger warriors watched intently, studying every shift of his body, every calculated move. Sweat traced down the back of his neck, and his dark hair fell across his forehead, dampened and dishevelled.
I couldn't stop looking at him. My eyes traced the sharp definition of his back far longer than dignity allowed, and heat flooded my face immediately. What the heck is he doing here? And why the hell am I thinking about him and watching his every move? Why would he show interest in my pack's guards now, after choosing Martha? He never even trained his own Lycan warriors, so this sudden interest in teaching inexperienced guards made no sense at all.
A wave of irritation crashed through me at my own pathetic reaction. Now is absolutely not the time to admire anything about him. I gripped the edges of my writing pad tightly and let my gaze find him across the clearing with all the anger simmering beneath my skin. When his head snapped toward me, I kept my expression hard and unyielding, making it entirely clear that he wasn't welcome here.
Magnus didn't flinch. Instead, his lips curled into a slow, deliberate smirk, and I realised he could sense exactly how much his presence affected me. And he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying it. He actually raised a hand and gave me a casual wave, acting as if he hadn't shattered my happiness the night before.
"Luna Raven?"
The pack doctor's voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked rapidly, clearing my thoughts. "Sorry, Doctor," I muttered. “What?”
"Medicine boxes just arrived at the main entrance," the doctor explained, gesturing toward the gravel path leading away from the training field. "Can you tell the guards to bring them over so we can begin treatment on the critical patients?"
Even though I focused directly on the doctor, I could still feel Magnus's eyes burning into the side of my face. His attention made it nearly impossible to focus.
"Yes, absolutely," I said, seizing the excuse to escape. "Get your station arranged, and I'll have the helpers bring the boxes."
I hurried over to the entrance, where dozens of heavy boxes were stacked along the path. Calling a few guards over, I quickly put them to work unloading the supplies.
Wanting to speed things along, I set my clipboard aside and grabbed one of the larger equipment boxes, gripping tightly and was about to lift it into my arms.
The air behind me shifted suddenly. A shadow fell across my shoulders, and every nerve in my body immediately recognised who it was.
"That's far too heavy for you to manage."
I can sense his voice was right at my ear, close enough that I felt the warmth of him, and despite everything, despite my anger and my shame, an involuntary shiver ran down my spine. I hated that his proximity still affected me like this.
I turned slowly, keeping the heavy box pressed against my front as a barrier between us. Magnus stood less than a foot away, his eyes dark and unreadable, waiting for me to respond.
He was right. The box was heavier than I'd expected, and my arms were already straining, but I wasn't going to admit it.
The weight of the box pressed into my stomach, even though my hands were aching, I held it firmly. I would not show weakness. I would not let him see how much his presence here unravelled me. The box stayed between us, a physical reminder that some distance, at least, I could still maintain.
"I can handle it," I said, meeting his gaze. "You should get back to your territory."
His expression darkened slightly at my dismissal, but I was already turning away, already walking toward the doctor's station with the huge box secure in my arms. Behind me, I felt him following me. I refused to look back.